Ed Sheeran has spoken about his aid trip to Liberia with Comic Relief saying was left speechless and heartbroken after the eye-opening experience.
Sheeran travelled to Liberia in West Africa, specifically to West Point, which he described as "the largest and most dangerous slum in Liberia's capital, Monrovia" to meet with street children as part of this year's Comic Relief Red Nose Day fundraiser.
Speaking in a video released by Comic Relief, Sheeran said, "The last thing I always wanted this trip to be was to be the celebrity who comes to Africa and cries on TV and says 'send your money over'. I wanted to come over and be like 'everything's positive, everything's great' and then, I dunno... I watch Comic Relief every single year and this is always what celebrities do and I think 'is it really that bad?' and then I turn up and, yes it is."
Giving more insight into his aid trip, Sheeran penned an essay for The Sun where he said he promised himself beforehand that he would "concentrate on the positives and show how progressive and hopeful the country is" but became "overwhelmed" by the stories of the children he met.
"I’ve always known there is poverty in the world, but witnessing it first-hand makes me realise I had absolutely no idea of what poverty actually means," Sheeran wrote.
"I try to think of something to say to the camera, to explain what I’m seeing, but I’m speechless and just keep staring in disbelief. Eventually I just swear.
"I’ve watched enough Red Nose Day films to know the drill, but I naively thought my trip would be different. I would be able to cope. But nothing can prepare you for the overwhelming sense of shock and disbelief at seeing little kids sleeping among rubbish and human waste."
"It is completely heart-breaking and I struggle to hold it together. I really didn’t want to cry and I try everything to hold it in, but it’s just too much of a shock for me. I’m completely overwhelmed and feel helpless," he added.
Comic Relief's Red Nose Day programming begins on BBC One at 7pm tonight and will feature a wide range of videos from similar aid trips, the highly anticipates Love Actually sketch, a special Carpool Karaoke with James Corden and Take That, and lots more.
